Ushijima the Loan Shark (Yamikin Ushijima-kun) 闇金ウシジマくん

Ushijima the Loan Shark (Yamikin Ushijima-kun) Review (Rating: 4/5)

Overview

Ushijima the Loan Shark (Yamikin Ushijima-kun) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shohei Manabe. It began serialization in Weekly Big Comic Spirits in 2004 and concluded in 2019, spanning 46 volumes. The series offers an unfiltered look into Japan’s underworld—illegal money lending, poverty, addiction, and the darker corners of modern society.
English Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ushijima_the_Loan_Shark

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Plot Summary

The story centers on Cowcow Finance, a black-market loan company that lends money at extremely high interest rates—such as “50% interest in 10 days,” a practice known as togo. When borrowers fail to repay, ruthless collection methods follow.

One day, Takada, a former nightclub host, is hired by Cowcow Finance and begins working under the cold and calculating company president, Kaoru Ushijima. Through his work, Takada witnesses the harsh reality of illegal lending, the fragility of human desires, and the crushing weight of debt.
Against this bleak backdrop, the manga portrays the intersecting lives of people trapped by poverty, addiction, or misfortune—often with no easy escape.

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Main Characters

Kaoru Ushijima — The president of Cowcow Finance. A quiet, emotionless, and unflinching loan shark who has chosen to survive in the underworld by becoming one of its predators.
Takada — A former host who joins Cowcow Finance. His experiences expose him to the darker side of society and force him to confront the realities of debt, weakness, and survival.

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Story Elements and Themes

The manga follows a consistent pattern of borrowers and lenders, portraying a vicious cycle where debt cannot be escaped. Many characters are people living on the edge—those with gambling problems, unstable jobs, or personal struggles.

Rather than presenting a simple “villain versus victim” narrative, the series confronts readers with the uncomfortable truth that borrowers often choose their path due to weakness, desire, or desperation. There is rarely salvation. Relationships deteriorate, trust collapses, and the outcome is frequently tragic.

Despite this heaviness, the story delivers a sharp and thought-provoking message:
What is money? What is poverty? What drives people into self-destruction?
By showing harsh reality without embellishment, the manga invites readers to reflect on human vulnerability and the unseen structures of society.

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Notable Features

• Relentless realism — The depiction of illegal lending, financial ruin, and life at the margins of society is raw and uncompromising.

• Strong social commentary — Issues such as economic inequality, lack of social support, addiction, unstable employment, and exploitation are central to the narrative.

• Unromanticized characters — No heroes, no saviors. Ushijima is ruthless, and the borrowers are ordinary people struggling with their own weaknesses. This creates an atmosphere that lingers long after reading.

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My Thoughts

To me, Ushijima the Loan Shark is one of the most striking manga ever created about Japan’s underworld. Many works portray the yakuza, and those often come with a sense of “honor” or dramatic tension. But the world of illegal lending—portrayed here with brutal honesty—has none of that. It is simply about money, interest, power, and survival.

The series contains many harsh scenes, and the characters are often miserable, desperate, or trapped. I frequently felt uncomfortable while reading it. Yet that discomfort is exactly what gives the work its unique power. Ushijima’s unwavering logic—his own “code” as a loan shark—gives the story a sense of consistency, and that consistency keeps you turning the pages.

The ending is difficult to describe: not clean, not uplifting. But that lack of clarity feels truthful. It mirrors the unresolved nature of real-life struggles, and that makes the final chapters unforgettable. Similar worlds might exist overseas, but I believe this series captures a uniquely Japanese social reality—one shaped by cultural expectations, economic pressures, and the unspoken rules of society.

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Conclusion

Ushijima the Loan Shark is not an easy read. It demands emotional strength and a willingness to face uncomfortable truths. But for readers interested in themes such as money, debt, inequality, and human vulnerability, this manga is an exceptional and important work.

If you’re curious about the realities of modern Japan’s underbelly—or simply want a story that challenges you—this is a manga worth picking up.